Easy French Apple Recipes

When the cozy fall season arrives, there’s simply no better time to indulge in the abundance of apples that become available. Whether you like them tart or sweet, crisp or juicy, apples are a wonderfully versatile ingredient that find their way into myriads of sweet and savory dishes. French cuisine is no exception to this, and offers an array of apple-centric recipes – be it rustic apple cakes, a classic Tarte Tatin or even regional meat dishes. 

Scroll through to find one or more simple French recipes to enjoy this apple season!

Classic French Apple Cake

A tender, buttery, rum-flavored crumb nestled with big chunks of apples makes the Classic French Apple Cake a delicious staple. Right before baking, the cake gets dusted with sugar to create a signature crackly top that makes it even more unique, all while letting the apples shine beautifully. This is one of the most popular and loved recipes on the blog. 

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Apple Breton Pound Cake

A Breton Pound Cake, known as “Quatre-Quarts” (four quarters) is the ubiquitous French snacking cake. It’s simple, not-too-sweet, just dense enough to be eaten with your hands and full of buttery flavors. This version is studded with lightly caramelized apple chunks to keep it moist and irresistible. A great year-round recipe for your baking repertoire!

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Apple Jelly

This simple, no-waste apple jelly recipe uses whole apples – cores and peels included – to make a sweet, juicy tasting and colorfully translucent preserve. Enjoy it as a spread for breakfast, to glaze your roasts or serve it on a cheese platter. It also makes a great Holiday favor when visiting friends and family!

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Apple Crinkle Cake (Gâteau Froissé)

Looking for a show-stopping yet simple dessert? This Apple Crinkle Cake combines crispy phyllo layers, sweet apples and a rich vanilla custard, for the perfect balance of crunch and creaminess.

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Skillet Caramelized Apple Cake from Brittany

Known in French as a “Michon aux Pommes”, this rustic-looking dessert features a succulent flan-like texture and big clusters of caramelized apples. As fragrant and luscious as it is, the recipe is ridiculously simple and thrown together in a few short minutes, for a result that is big in flavor and exciting textures.   

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Normandy Apple Tarte (Tarte Normande)

Normandy Apple Tart is a classic French dessert that features a buttery, flaky pastry crust filled with sliced apples and a creamy Calvados-spiked filling. This tart is best served warm with a dusting of powdered sugar, or a dollop of whipped cream on top. It’s a perfect dessert for fall or winter gatherings and will satisfy any sweet tooth!

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Classic French Tarte Tatin

As apple tarts go in France, I don’t think you’ll find more iconic than the classic Tarte Tatin. This tart of caramelized apples and crisp buttery crust turned upside-down, is an icon of French cuisine and a must to have in your baking repertoire as a French host(ess). 

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Apple Cinnamon Galette

This Apple Cinnamon Galette, or a “Tarte Rustique” as we call it in France, holds all the deliciousness of an apple pie but with half the work. This rustic-looking fruit tart features a flaky all-butter crust, folded in a free form manner over crisp apples. 

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Gluten Free Apple Crisp

This Gluten-Free Apple Crisp is proof that healthier desserts don’t have to be boring. Made of melty apples under a crisp gluten-free topping of ground almond, oats and pecans, this rustic dessert is pure comfort. I love how it’s a snap to prepare, it doesn’t have to look perfect and it’s a delicious crowd pleaser.

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French Thin Apple Tart

This Tarte Fine aux Pommes – literally “Thin Apple Tart” – is a French bakery staple in the Fall. It features a thin puff-pastry crust with no raised borders, thin apple slices for topping and crisp caramelized edges.

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Invisible Apple Cake Recipe

A French home baker’s favorite, the Invisible Apple Cake is a deceptively easy, yet exceptional recipe for apple season. It features nearly invisible apple slices layered in a custardy batter and baked until sweet, melty and golden.

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Buttered Cabbage & Apple

Known in French as an “Embeurrée de choux”, this Buttered Cabbage recipe is a cold-weather staple hailing from central France. The idea here is to turn shredded cabbage utterly soft and melty by cooking it in a generous amount of butter, along with onions garlic and a sprinkle of fragrant Juniper berries.

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Pork Chops with Apples and Cider Sauce

Pork chops, apples and cider collide in this typical dish from Brittany – a French region famous for its apple orchards and pig farms. These Pork Chops with Apples served in a cider-spiked creamy sauce are a favorite recipe amongst Brittany home cooks, as it’s a simple one-pan dish that boasts delicious sweet and savory flavors.

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Poulet Vallée d’Auge (Cider-Braised Chicken with Apples and Mushrooms)

A comforting one-pot recipe hailing from beautiful Normandy, featuring chicken leg quarters braised in apple cider and served in a creamy apple-and-mushroom studded sauce. You can find this recipe in my cookbook Rustic French Cooking Made Easy. 

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If you try any of these French Apple recipes, let us know! Leave a comment, rate them, and don’t forget to tag a photo @pardonyourfrench on Instagram. Bon appétit !